Daylight Saving Time ends

It`s that magical time of year again when we get to set our clock backs by one hour.  

Daylight Saving Time comes to an end...

which means;

that before you go to bed tonight, remember to “fall back” by setting your clocks back one hour and allow yourself,

one hour more of blissful sleep

one more hour of watching tv

one more hour to read that book that needs to be returned to the library

simply one more hour... 

what will you do with it?

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

298. playing games with family

299. winter wheat crop

300. turnip

301. crockpots

302. nuts & bolts snack mix

303. thai food

304. movie nights

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Take Care

tasty tuesday

For all you popcorn lovers!!!

Microwave popcorn, no bags, no butter, no oil!

It’s genius really. Simple, genius.

What you need:
glass bowl, 
ceramic plate,
popcorn kernels 

No bag.
No butter.
No oil.

This is life-changing.

Take 1/4 cup of dry popcorn kernels and place in the bottom of a microwave-safe glass bowl (pyrex is a great choice). Place a microwave-safe plate on top of the bowl. Plate should be wide enough to go beyond the rim of the bowl.

Microwave for 2 minutes 45 seconds. Watch in glory as your popcorn pops perfectly into little puffs of heaven.

Perfectly popped popcorn... who'd have thought?!?

Take Care

Someone like me...

If you are someone like me, you love the study of personalities and have taken numerous tests over the years for this, that, and of course every other thing.  

If you are someone like me, you know that are you are sensitive, and yet, you often struggle to integrate this knowledge in your life. 

If you are someone like me, you have an incessant voice in your head that keeps a record of every. Single. thing. you ever did wrong.

If you are someone like me it feels really hard to extend yourself the same compassion that you can extend to others.

If you are someone like me it’s very easy to get impatient with yourself as you try to make changes.

If you are someone like me you've learned more about your own personality traits:

Introvert

INTJ

Libra

Thinker

HSP

Before realizing that HSP was a thing,

I thought there was some defect in me. Please understand, this doesn't mean that my feelings are super-sensitive.  It means that my senses {sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch} are more heightened than the "average" person.  

One of the great things about being in your 40's is that you really start to understand yourself.  As a sensitive person in today’s world, and as part of a minority, my journey has been difficult. It's only lately that I have started developing more compassion for myself.  I have started understanding why I am the way I am and learning to give myself what I need. 

Are you or is someone you love an HSP?

Then remember, if you are not someone like me, it doesn't make it any less real.  It is a thing! We can't help it. We can't "toughen up". And we can not just get over it. 

Let me remind you, if you are not someone like me please be compassionate and extend to us a little empathy.  

Take Care

Reminder

Just in case you needed this reminder

of HIS promises.

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

291. God’s grace

292. devotional books

293. God’s promises in Scripture

294. our pastor and his wife

295. our new grandson

296. friends who pray

297. extended family

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Take Care

Book Review ~ The Perfect Husband

What would you do if the man of your dreams hides the soul of a killer?

From the back cover;
Jim Beckett was everything she’d ever dreamed of. But two years after Tess married the decorated cop and bore his child, she helped put him behind bars for savagely murdering ten women. Even locked up in a maximum security prison, he vowed he would come after her and make her pay. Now the cunning killer has escaped-and the most dangerous game of all begins…
After a lifetime of fear, Tess will do something she’s never done before. She’s going to learn to protect her daughter and fight back, with the help of a burned-out ex-marine. As the largest manhunt four states have ever seen mobilizes to catch Beckett, the clock winds down to the terrifying reunion between husband and wife. And Tess knows that this time, her only choices are to kill-or be killed.

The Perfect Husband is one of Lisa Gardner’s books, showing a fast-paced thriller with lots of action, violence and a mounting body count. Personally, I am a bit divided about this book. There were elements in the story I really enjoyed, such as the premise of hiring an ex-marine to pro-actively protect yourself against your abusive husband who is coming to kill you.  However, I found some things just too hard to swallow; Jim Beckett, the young cop-turned-serial-killer has almost superhuman powers, outwitting authorities at every opportunity; J. T. Dillon, the posterboy of testosterone, drowning his sorrows and demons in binges of tequila; and Tess, on one hand weak, helpless and abused, miraculously learns self-defence and develops a muscled body in little more than a couple of weeks.  Being a stickler for such details, these things annoyed me, even though I reminded myself over and over again that this was fiction, and to be taken for its entertainment value alone. But alas, it still bugs me!

This author is not afraid to discuss some very dark elements in her stories, and this one is no exception. Incest, abuse, sexual perversion, betrayal ~ all of her characters are flawed in some way or another, overcoming personal tragedies which play sidelines in the larger story and add depth to their personalities. There are plenty of twists and turns, albeit very little mystery (since there is never any doubt as to who the killer is), and lots of action and violence.

If you are a fan of Lisa Gardner's writing, the odds are that you will enjoy this one as well, which was full of suspense from start to finish. This is a truly gripping and very intense novel and one that will have you turning the pages quite quickly the closer you get to the end. 

Take Care

mhmm monday

These super-moist pumpkin spice muffins are stuffed with cheesecake filling and topped with brown sugar cinnamon streusel.  They’re like a pumpkin roll turned into a muffin. Or an inside out cream cheese-frosted pumpkin bar. Cheesecake meets pumpkin pie meets crumb cake.  Can you say yum?!?

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar 
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt 
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs 
1 cup pumpkin puree 
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Filling
6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature 
1 egg yolk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two muffin sheets with 14 liners or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Make the crumb-topping first: Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix until combined. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form. Set aside.
Make the pumpkin muffins: In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do NOT overmix the batter.
Make the cheesecake filling: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric handheld (or stand) mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Beat until combined.
Spoon 1 Tbsp of pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin cups. Layer with about 1 spoonful (not quite a full Tbsp) of cheesecake filling, then another Tbsp of muffin batter (or however much batter is needed to fill the cups all the way to the top). Yes, you will fill the muffin cups to the very top. Some cheesecake filling may poke out of the top or on the sides. Sprinkle each muffin evenly with crumb topping and press the topping down into the muffin so it sticks.
Bake for 5 minutes 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for another 15-16 minutes. The total time these muffins should be in the oven is around 20-21 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat. 
Enjoy!

Take Care

oh, boy!

Our first grandchild arrived today... a wee bit earlier than "they" planned. 

Both mommy and baby and even daddy are doing quite well.

Dear Gavin;

We simply had no way of knowing just how precious you would be. We are awed at just how much we can love you when we only just met.  It's amazing little one, we barely know you but you have already stolen our hearts. We are so very thankful that God has blessed us with you. 

All our love,

Gigi & Pops

We're so excited to join the grandparent club!

Take Care

HIS timing

Sometimes,

OK let's be honest...

most times, we want to be in control.  We make plans for our days, weeks, months and even years in advance, organizing them through our schedules and with what's going on in our lives.  Quite often, we only think about ourselves.

And then something comes along and things change. Plans are altered.  Schedules shift.

We're caught off-guard and even surprised by the events that can start to swirl around us.

We need to remind ourselves that whatever we're going through, God is not caught off-guard, nor is HE surprised..

“ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 {new International Version {NIV}}

This is my promise today!

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

284. thanksgiving dinners
285. another birthday
286. family time
287. wool sweaters
288. pumpkin pie 
289. playing games together
290. our home

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

Happy Birthday

It was my birthday today...

Not an overly significant one, mind you.  Just one more candle on the cake.

Not that we even had cake.  My celebration was when the family was home for Thanksgiving... and even then we had pie.

Take Care

tasty tuesday

Oh My Yum!

These are so good! Bite size pieces of pecan pie! To make it even more indulgent, dish out a scoop of french vanilla ice cream on one while it is still warm, and drizzle with a little caramel sauce...or even chocolate sauce!

Pecan Pie Muffins

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour 
light brown sugar, packed 
2 cups chopped pecans 
2/3 cup butter, softened 
2 large eggs, beaten 
caramel or chocolate sauce, if desired 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 12 muffin cups. Grease them well or the muffins will stick. 
In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. 
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. 
Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. 
Run a knife around the edge of each muffin and pop it out.
Enjoy!

Take Care

Happy Thanksgiving

We're celebrating with the family today!

Take Care

Favourite day

There are probably only a handful of times in our lives when someone who will change us forever walks in ~ when we find someone we can love with our whole hearts, who will challenge us and shape us and make us feel like the world is safer and brighter just because they are in it. A person who loves us for exactly who we are, yet teaches us to be better because of who they are and how they live their life.

Making friends has always been a challenge for me. It’s taken me a while to come to this understanding, but these years have taught me friendship isn’t a luxury but a necessity. It’s how we are designed, to lean into another for laughter and tears. To say those things that are felt in my heart.

A forever friend ~ the kind who stays through thick and thin. Good times and bad. The sort who knows much about you, including your faults, and chooses to remain in your life in spite of them. The friend who knows your dreams, your disappointments, your pain, your laughter, your tears, your joys. They can come alongside of you and with just a hug speak more than a thousand words. 

There is nothing quite like friendship?

So why then, am I surprised to find that this forever friend I search for turns out to be my daughter...  and each day we spend together becomes my new favourite day!

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

277. autumn sunsets
278. swifter wet jet
279. facetime
280. bathtubs
281. pumpkins
282. chili
283. caramel apples

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

Book Review ~ The Murder House

James Patterson is by far my most favourite of all suspense writers. and he does not disappoint in his newest release The Murder House co-written with David Ellis.

From the back cover;
It has an ocean-front view, a private beach—and a deadly secret that won't stay buried.

Noah Walker isn't superstitious. But there's one beach house in Bridgehampton that has a troubling history of violence and mystery: when Noah was a kid, No. 7 South Ocean burned down in a devastating fire, killing the couple trapped inside. Investigators had no explanation for what happened, and many believe it was no accident. Rebuilt after the fire, the gorgeous, ocean-front property is still known by locals as The Murder House.

Now, sixteen years later, a powerful Hollywood player and his mistress are found dead in The Murder House—and the police unearth proof that the couple is undeniably linked to Noah's past. To prove his innocence, Noah must uncover the house's dark secrets—and reveal his own.

As the title strongly suggests, the story involves a desolate house. This one is a large house on the beach front of Bridgehampton but it is has a sordid history. For a start, an elderly couple died in a fire that destroyed part of the building. A tragic accident? The locals know that it was murder but years have passed without any conviction. It's also setting for a series of unsolved killings years ago. Is the house cursed? When two more dead bodies turn up, a young couple brutally murdered, the police arrest resident Noah Walker. Only, is he innocent in all of this?

There is an element of detective work that we as the reader are able to deduce as we begin piecing the story together. The Murder House has elements of a decent thriller. There is something gripping about the story that delicately unfolds with each page turning chapter. Mystery shrouds the house and the secrets are gently unearthed word by word. This story will carry you along with all its chills and thrills.

Full of the twists and turns that have made James Patterson the world's #1 bestselling writer, The Murder House is a chilling, page-turning story of murder, money, and revenge. It's a gripping murder mystery, one I couldn't put down until I read the last page.

Take Care

mhmm monday

Here is the easiest 5-ingredient meal EVER! And yes, you just need one pan with 5 min prep. It's quick, easy and effortless!

One Pan Ranch pork Chops and Veggies 

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients:
4 (8-ounce) pork chops, bone-in, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick 
16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved 
16 ounces green beans, trimmed 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 (1-ounce) package Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. 
Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. 
Place pork chops, potatoes and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. 
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Ranch Seasoning and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
Place into oven and roast until the pork is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 18-20 minutes.* 
Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred. 
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Enjoy!

Take Care

Blogtober

A lot of the blogs I follow are joining in with other bloggers for the month of October, where they write for 31 days, either on a specific topic or they can follow these prompts...

{photo credit}

Back in October 2013, I jumped on the wagon and did my own 31 days of writing…

It was an awe-inspiring journey.

I have been thinking for a few weeks now about joining the other 31 dayers and writing a post a day, on one topic, every day in October; because I did enjoy the discipline of writing everyday.  But I've decided against it, I find that I put myself under too much pressure.  I am not a quick thinker let alone writer… I like to think and let my blog posts percolate for a while, either in my head or at least in the queue.  Sure I could write them ahead of time, but that kind of defeats the purpose of writing for 31 days, doesn't it?

Many others, I am sure, will join in and write for 31 days, and I am also sure that it’s going to be, no doubt, a joy-filled month reading what everybody else has written.  While admire their dedication to it… I simply cannot put that kind of stress on myself.

I kinda like doing my own thing anyway…. I’ve learned I’m learning to do what’s best for me and to try not to get too influenced by what others are doing.

Whether we write for 31 days in October or we continue on our own path, we can find joy in the day to day, or even week to week posts about our lives that we share…

'Cause, life will happen. It has a way of doing that, doesn’t it? 

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

269. fall season
270. baby showers
271. small group bible studies
272. pumpkin spice tea
273. boys who help their dad
274. cultivators
276. gas fireplaces

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care